PM Modi Arrives in Argentina for G20 Summit, Set for Trilateral Meet With Trump, Abe

Modi will also meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the event, the Ministry of External Affairs had said on the eve of his departure. He will be in Buenos Aires from November 29 to December 1.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures after he was welcomed by Argentina's Justice Minister German Garavano, right, upon his arrival in Buenos Aires for the G20 summit. (PTI)

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Buenos Aires: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived in Argentina's capital of Buenos Aires to attend the 13th G-20 summit where he will discuss ways to meet the new and upcoming challenges of the coming decade with other world leaders, including US President Donald Trump.

On the sidelines of the two-day summit, Modi, Trump and Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe will hold a trilateral meeting amidst China flexing its muscles in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

The trilateral, which would be an expansion of the bilateral meeting between Trump and Abe, is part of the series of meetings the US president would have on the sidelines of the G-20 summit on November 30 and December 1.

Modi will also meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the event, the Ministry of External Affairs had said on the eve of his departure. He will be in Buenos Aires from November 29 to December 1.

Modi will also meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Argentinian President Mauricio Macri, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, along with the prime ministers of Spain, Jamaica, the Netherlands and the president of the European Union and the European Council.

A bilateral meeting between Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron is also being worked out. "As in the past, I look forward to the opportunity to meet leaders on the sidelines of the summit to exchange views on bilateral matters of mutual interest," Modi had said in his departure statement.

The Prime Minister will also speak on his flagship programmes like the Jan Dhan Yojana, the Mudra scheme, Ayushman Bharat, and soil health card at the G-20 Summit. Modi will make a pitch to countries who are not within the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn to join the International Solar Alliance. He will also highlight the risks posed by oil price volatility and raise the issue of combating terror financing and money laundering.

Among the issues to be discussed will be the strengthening of the WTO. The meeting is being held amid the ongoing trade war between the US and China.

Modi said that through the 10 years of its existence, the G-20 has strived to promote stable and sustainable global growth. "This objective is of particular significance for developing countries and emerging economies such as India, which is today the fastest growing large economy in the world," he said.

Modi said India's contribution to global economic growth and prosperity underlined its commitment to 'Building Consensus for Fair and Sustainable Development', which is the theme of the summit. "I look forward to meeting leaders from other G-20 countries to review the work of G-20 in the last 10 years of its existence and chart the ways and means to meet the new and upcoming challenges of the coming decade," he said.

The Prime Minister said the participants would deliberate on the situation of the global economy and trade, international financial and tax systems, the future of work, women empowerment, infrastructure and sustainable development.

Emerging economies, which played a major role in revitalising the growth in the global economy pursuant to the financial crisis are today facing unprecedented economic and technological challenges, Modi said.

"I will highlight the need for reformed multilateralism which reflects the contemporary realities and can effectively strengthen collective action for global good," he said.

The Prime Minister stressed on the need to strengthen international cooperation and enhance coordinated action against fugitive economic offenders and financing of terrorism.